During the school year, approximately 16 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches; some also receive breakfast. Often, these meals make the difference as low-income families struggle to feed their families. During the summer is a different story. The School Lunch Program continues to operate in year-round schools; it also serves children who attend summer school.

The Summer Food Service Program, a separate national nutrition initiative, serves children as well. But together, these programs reach only about 3 million children- far short of the 16 million served during the school year. If the programs had additional resources, more community sites could be opened to help bridge children’s June-to-September hunger gap.

Bread for the World’s 2005 Offering of Letters campaign, Make Hunger History, supports national nutrition programs, which are the fastest, most direct way to prevent hunger. In May, both houses of Congress introduced the Offering of Letters legislation, the Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005. Two key provisions would protect federal nutrition programs from budget cuts and support the work of church and local groups against hunger in their communities- both vital to the well-being of children and teens, particularly during the summer.

The Hunger-Free Communities Act would express Congress’ intention to cut hunger in the United States in half by 2010 and to eliminate it by 2015. A renewed commitment from Congress to reduce hunger and to protect federal nutrition programs will being us one step closer to ending hunger in God’s world.

Let us pray for more than 36 million of our neighbors here in the U.S. who worry about whether they will have enough food for themselves and their children this summer. Let us also pray for our nation’s leaders as they examine their goals for the country and make decisions about programs that affect hungry and poor people. May their choices help to end hunger in God’s world.

• According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 13.3. million children are food insecure- meaning their families have difficulty putting food on the table.

• The poverty line for a family of four is $18,200. The number of children in “extreme” poverty- with household incomes less than half of the poverty line-exceeds 5 million

• Approximately 16 million children receive free or reduced-price lunches at school. In the summer, however, the National School Lunch Program and the Summer Food Service Program together serve only about 3.2 million children.

• Half of all participants in the Food Stamp Program are children.

• Households with children experience more than twice the rate of food insecurity as childless households- 16.5 percent versus 8.1 percent. As the Children’s Defense Food points out, soup kitchens that once served mainly homeless adult men are now buying high chairs and booster seats.

Urge your senators and representatives to support the Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005, S. 1120 in the Senate and H.R. 2717 in the House.

An effective letter has three main ingredients:

• Be Specific

Hunger is on the rise in the United States; more than 36 million people live in households that struggle to put food on the table.

• Name the Action

The Hunger-Free Communities Act recommits the United States to the fight against hunger. The legislation would require an annual report to gauge the federal government’s progress against hunger; protect national nutrition programs; and help church groups and local organizations find solutions to hunger in their communities.

• Give a reason

Political commitment is the missing ingredient to ending U.S. hunger in the next decade- a goal well within our capabilities.

Dear Senator or Representative,

I’m writing to seek your support for the Hunger-Free Communities Act of 2005. Hunger is on the rise in the United States- there are 36 million people living in families that struggle to put food on the table.

The Hunger-Free Communities Act (S. 1120 in the Senate and H.R. 2717 in the House) recommits the United States to the fight against hunger by requiring an annual report on the federal government’s progress against hunger, protecting national nutrition programs, and helping church groups and local organizations find solutions to hunger in their communities.

It is well within our capabilities to end hunger in the United States within the next decade. You and your colleagues in Congress play a critical role in making this happen. Thank you for your efforts.

Your Name

Your Address

Send your letter to:

Senator_____________ Representative __________

U.S. Senate U.S. House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D. C. 20515

Capitol Switchboard: 202/224-3121